Improvement in bee-hives



:trance for the bees.

@wat Gattin.

MARCUS MOR'ION, OF GALLA'IIN, MISSOURI.

Letters Patent No. 101,647, lated April 5, 1870.

, Tho-Schedule referred tolin these Letters Patent and making. part ofthe sanne.

.Nature and objects of the Invention.

'- -My hive is constructed in'theusual square-box form,- of oblongproportion. AtV the ,top are two movable honeyhoxes; the bee-home may bearranged for movable comb-frames, or in any form to suitthc fancyvorwishes of the bee-keeper. At the bottom is a drawer with double oors,the upper one being concave, with a convex screen-wire, over which isthe en- Under both sides of this convex bottom is a wire, on which arestrung old honeycombs, which are the decoy for the bee-moth.` Holes varemade on either side of the hive for' the moth to enter into the drawer,which entrances are difl erent from the entrance for the bees. The beeclippings f'rorn the hiveabove fall through the screenwire onto thefloor of the drawer, where the moth lays her eggs, asyshe will alsodo inthe combs on the wire.

The hire is s o constructed that the moth 'cannot penetrate up-into thehome of the bees.

The bee moth will not enter the h ive at the lusual access for the bees,and will even force an entrance through the sides where the wood ofthehive has decayed, if she can find no other means of access. Sentinelsare' always at the entrance defending` it against 'the approach-of allenemies. lo allow the mothto enter freely I make holes at the sidesofthe hive, but

she can only find access through these holes to the drawer. 'lhe form ofthe construction of this drawer is such that itbrings the bees verynearly down to the bottom of the hive, but protected by the screen-wire,

which, with'the scent of honey coming' down through the wire, serres asa decoy, while the combs" on the wire under the sides of the drawer, andthe chippings from the bees above, serve as nests in which she canv hideher eggs, and to which'she will promptly 'and readily resort.

The bee-keeper can remove the drawer as often as necessary and destroy.the larvae, and this process will a'ord certain .and perfect protectiontothe bees against their enemy, the heen1oth.

It is not thedesign of my invention to' guard the hive against the moth,or to prevent her entering the hive, but I propose t-o give her freeaccess into the drawer, where I decoy her into depositing her eggs,which can be destroyed, and thus I protect the hive and the bcc-homefrom her ravages.

Inscription of thc Drawings.

Figure l is a front view of the hive.

Figure 2 is a rear view of the hive.

Figure 2i is a side view ofthe hive.

Figure 4 is a sectional view'of the drawer.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the drawer.

'lhe same letters of reference refer to the same parts in the severalfigures.

-A is the rear of the hive.v

B is a door opening to honey-boxes, on single hinge,-

seeured by wooden buttons. v

B is the inclined sidesk ot' the drawer.

B is entrance for moth into drawer, with cap screwed to hiveat one endto slide over hole/ 'G is bee-hole, with platform and cap.

D D are wires with decoy comb.

E is around hole lined with screen-wire, for ventila-` tion and decoypurposes.

F isa screen-wire forming concave bottom to drawer.

Cla-im.

I claim for my invention the lower drawer with vholes at the sides ofthe hive, for entrance of moth into it, which, with the formofoonstrnction in combining the comb on the wires under the inclinedportion of roof' of drawer, with the concave form with wire-screen atthe bottom, the hee entrance directly over thisbringing the bees downnear to thc chamber formed for the reception of the moth, andthedischarge of the bee ehippngs through the wire-screen to the floor ofthe drawer, all of which comprise the moth decoy.

MARCUS MOR'ION.

lVitncsses: i

H. M. POLLARD, 'Enlsrrn CONGILL.

